Standards Books

This book, written by several of data broadcast specification authors, is The Definitive Work on the ATSC Data Broadcast specification.

If you are an implementer of data broadcasting, you need exactly two things: a copy of the specification and a copy of this book.

I highly recommend this book to all those who develop or maintain data broadcasting systems.

The good point is that it is not at all a replication of the specification (though a true copy of the A/90 spec is added as an appendix). The concepts are clear, progressive and sufficiently illustrated.

Chapter 3 alone tells you most you need to know about MPEG-2 Systems standard. I gained extra insight from it even after I had studied the original 13818-1 spec.

I found this book to be a great resource for the engineering and design fundamentals that relate to the question "how is all that data formatted and organized in digital television broadcasting?" The MPEG-2 Systems Standard is one of the foundations of digital television. If you're interested in how MPEG-2 really works at the system level, you'll find this book an excellent resource. The chapter on MPEG Transport by itself is worth the price of the book, but it also does a great job explaining another arcane MPEG-2 Standard, Digital Storage Media Command and Control (DSM-CC). It turns out DSM-CC is very useful in data broadcasting, but if you were to pick up the IEC standard itself and try to make sense of it, you'd find it very challenging.

Even though broadcasters have not started transmitting data along with digital television, this book sets the framework for understanding how it will be done. It's written by those experts in the field who actually designed the standard, so you know the information is accurate.

Sharp, concise, cutting edge. This book is the first of it's kind (may we hope for more?) and will guide and support you in your IP Services endeavors.

I found this book to be an excellent resource for this topic, and being the first book of its kind, it is quite timely.

This book is a gem for anyone marketing and developing IP products / services as it covers the process from concept, feasibility, business plan, and technical considerations.

The case studies included also earn the authors practicality points, since they have been able to deliver experience to us readers, having the big time hands on that they have shared.

By the way, in case you have a chance to hear author Monique Morrow speak to Telecom and IP professionals, check her out - her "stage presence" is worth the time and admission...!

Dennis Silage's DIGITAL COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS USING SYSTEMVUE would be a fine college text with its comprehensive survey of the Agilent SystemVue simulation environment. Advanced users of the communications simulator will find here plenty of analysis and insights on DSP processors and applications, offering pros and advanced digital communications users an introduction to the SystemVue environment using plenty of examples and results.

As an engineering student, I have been exposed to a number of different textbooks on this subject, all with varying degrees of value. This book easily rises to the top of the pack. I will explain why.

Many books attempt to discuss the topic of electrical communication schemes through blunt mathematical rigor. Such an analysis may benefit the mathematically inclined, but leaves the rest of the students wanting. This book, however, is packaged with the excellent SystemVue software, a powerful software package that is used in industry to design actual communication systems. By utilizing the simulation software, in addition to providing a large number of images (graphs, constellation plots, output waveforms, etc), readers are given a visualization of the complex topics discussed in the text.

I think that it is incredibly valuable to be able to visualize the concepts being discussed, and I also think it is important to see how a physically-realizable system can come to certain results. The differing effects of BFSK and QPSK for instance, may be difficult to understand in a purely mathematical context, but by viewing the output waveforms, and spectrums comparatively, the user is able to quickly discern the differences between the two schemes.

The only qualm I would have about this book is that the version of SystemVue that comes with the book is a heavily watered down version, and is only capable of simulating the examples from the book (the user cannot use the software to create a new simulation). However, when you consider the sheer price of the SystemVue software suite, it is amazing that the book's author was able to include any version at all. I highly recommend this book to anybody who is new to the subject of communication systems, and even people who have had classes on the subject, but want to see the material presented in a more visual way. Because of the relative inexpensiveness of this book, It makes an excellent counterpart to other textbooks that are more steeped in the mathematically rigorous derivations.

Note the words 'Using SystemVue' in the title of this book. The title might reflect the content better if it included the word 'simulation' somewhere. As it is, this book is a supplement, or addition to a standard text in digital communications.

Having said that, this is an excellent book on simulation. For one thing, it includes the SystemVue software. To be sure, it's the Textbook Edition of the software, so it is quite limited in its functionality. That is, you can simulate the systems described in the text and manipulate them to see what happens. What you cannot do is use the included software to simulate your own system.

With this book and the included demo software you'll learn how to simulate digital communication systems. When you get out into the real world you can fork over a small fortune to get a real SystemVue. At least you'll know what to do with it.

I'm a technical writer and occasionally write manuals for a telecom client in Europe. This book was a good help and provided a well-rounded coverage for TETRA. It seemed to provide most of the information that I was looking for.

There were a few things that I was hoping to find (like a chart of the European RF spectrum, and more information on air interface encryption), but the book had 95% of everything else I needed.

The book automatically gets five stars since it's basically the only TETRA book of its kind out there. If you need a good, well-rounded primer on TETRA, this book would be a good choice.

This is a good book on TETRA system, it also includes topics on other digital mobile radio system such as GSM, DECT and CDMA. Managers and engineers who are working on TETRA must have this book.

Very good reference for engineers seeking comprehensive information on Private Mobile Radio (PMR) systems, with special focus on the TETRA standard.
I had this book for almost three years now and still I find it as a very useful source of information.
...

Excellent book with great technical content. Worth every penny. This book and "EIGRP Network Design Solutions" are the only two books written specifically about EIGRP. Both are great. Both are no longer in print and can be attained cheaply through the Amazon Z-Shops...

Pros:

This is one of the only two books available covering EIGRP in details. Most of other routing references do not have the same level on in-detail descriptions and protocol-specific information this book has. Add to that the smooth style of the authors which makes reading this book a pleasant experience

Cons:

May be EIGRP's code is not finalized yet and there are many enhancements added after this book is published. I think the authors need to issue a second edition with more information regard new features in the protocol. Although the book gives numerous examples of real life scenarios, It cames short of small pool of theoretical details " which are necessary if you run into *other* scenario rather than the ones listed. Finally, as many networks are migrating from IGRP to EIGRP, I think the authors should designate section for the migration process

For a book that weighs in at only 100 pages it seemed rather lightweight in comparison to other EIGRP/routing books I have read. But the quality of the content is very consise. The book is well paced and covers all aspects of EIGRP. From the mechanics of the protocol through to setup and network design decisions. The protocol troubleshooting sections are worth the price of the book in itself ( Far better than any others I have read) . And for the low price this is an excellent purchase.

Top Notch.

When I saw a copy of this book I was immediately pleased with its appearance and organization. My interest was fully primed so I purchased the book and began to read. I discovered that the book was very pleasant and easy to read. The new organizing principle set forth in the book provides a beautiful and convincing flow of relationships which carry the reader to the conclusion that a very acceptable explanation has been given for the existance of three quark-lepton families.

Gerald Fitzpatrick's book addresses what the physics community has called "The Family Problem," i.e., why did nature choose to create the basic building blocks of matter in triplicate? All known matter in the universe is made of the subatomic particles which are called quarks and leptons. Quarks bind together strongly to form protons and neutrons while the familiar leptons, namely, the electron and the elusive electrically neutral (electron) neutrino experience only electroweak interactions. But nature didn't stop there. These particles are found in three families despite the fact that the known matter in the universe is made of only those particles that are members of the first family. The second and third families consist of two additional quark doublets plus the muon and tau leptons as well as two additional neutrino flavors. In the words of the famous physicist I. I. Rabi when confronted by the discovery of one of these EXTRA PARTICLES (the muon) " Who ordered that?" The otherwise highly successful description of the sub atomic realm "The Standard Model" is unable to shed any light on this mystery. This" Family Problem", is the problem that Fitzpatrick addresses in this book. Fitzpatrick's approach is a unique application of the Cayley-Hamilton theorem (for matrices) that extends the so called fermion-sector of the standard model. Using this theorem he develops a simple but compelling mathematical structure to expand the standard model to incorporate these "extra" particles. This mathematical approach utilizes a Lorentz 2- space that naturally accounts for nature's triplication of families. Postulating an eigen function, utilizing the standard model's fermion number as the eigen value, the author derives all the quark and lepton Quantum numbers as an intrinsic feature of his theory. In addition, based on the mathematical structure that Fitzpatrick utilizes in his theory, a topological distinction is revealed between the first family and the second and third families. Based on this theory the first family may be thought of as having a cylindrical topology while the two higher families have a Mobius strip topological configuration. Finally the author summarizes possible connections of his theory with Planck level physics and Supersymmetry. Fitzpatrick's book is a must read for anyone who has a curiosity about the wonders of the subatomic world. The author's style is clear and straight forward and every facet of his theory is explained in adequate detail. Throughout this book the reader will find himself on an adventure of mathematical beauty and profound physical insight.

Despite the phenomenological success of the "standard model of
quarks and leptons" in providing a framework for analyzing high
energy particle experiments using particle masses up to the highest
energies currently available in accelerator laboratories, it remains
"ad hoc" in a vital respect. We have found three
generations of quarks and leptons, which fit together in the way that
the standard model provides, but there is no generally accepted reason
why the sequence should stop at three. Gerald Fitzpatrick goes
slightly outside the usual model by generalizing the scalar
"fermion number" to quantum numbers in a two-dimensional
real space attached to each fermion or antifermion. To do this he
invokes an "organizing principle," which accomplishes
precisely what is needed to solve this "family problem"
posed by the observational cutoff at three generations. In so doing
he provides a parsimonious formulation of the quantum numbers of the
standard model, consistent with all currently known facts. At the end
of the book he even provides speculative reasons why his model could
be the low-energy consequence of some theory which takes the final
step of unifying gravitation with the strong, electromagnetic and weak
interactions covered by the standard model. I sincerely hope that
some young theoretical physicist will have the courage to step just
slightly beyond conventional approaches and explore the path
Fitzpatrick has opened up. Rich rewards could lie down that
road.

H. Pierre Noyes
Professor, Theoretical Physics

Stanford Linear Accelerator Center
END

If it's not in this book you'd better hope you never need it! This book gives detailed byte-by-byte descriptions of data fields inside fibre channel packets, and even goes one step farther to describe how the individual light pulses get converted into those bytes.

The only drawback is its age when compared to some of the moving standards. In a few cases, fibre channel (i.e. FC-SW) has been extended beyond what is in this book but I have yet to find any better reference.

If it's not in this book you'd better hope you never need it! This book gives detailed byte-by-byte descriptions of data fields inside fibre channel packets, and even goes one step farther to describe how the individual light pulses get converted into those bytes.

The only drawback is its age when compared to some of the moving standards. In a few cases, fibre channel (i.e. FC-SW) has been extended beyond what is in this book but I have yet to find any better reference.

This book is very well organized and fun to read. It presents an extremely complicated topic in a clearly written and well-diagrammed fashion. It also presents with much more humour than is usually the case for books on engineering standards. I especially like a nearly blank page that is marked with "This page is blank, and we INTENDED it to be BLANK! Make the flow of things nicer, doesn't it?".

This book is now some years old, but the information contained within is still valid, and this is a must for all engineers who want to understand both the software and hardware issues with Fibre Channel.

Books on Six Sigma often read like ancient testaments from which you must blow the dust before you crack them open. Full of half-explained jargon and abstruse terms, they tend to shed more confusion than illumination. Eventually, you throw up your hands and decide you'll just have to hire a consultant if you are ever to understand this stuff, even though most of those books are - surprise! - written by consultants. This offering by Michael C. Thomsett is a welcome exception. A champion financial writer, Thomsett ventures into heady consultant territory and emerges with an unnervingly comprehensible book about launching a straightforward Six Sigma quality control program. We advise you not to let this book's brevity fool you. It will tell you everything you always wanted to know about starting in Six Sigma, but were afraid to ask a consultant. Comprehensive as well as comprehensible, it lives up to the description on its cover: "A Practical Working Guide."

This is by the far the best introduction to six sigma for the executive interested in implementing the philosophies or for a potential green-belt candidate. If you are serious about six-sigma and/or lean education check out moresteam.com

This book takes a simple, logical idea and present it simply and logically ... a refreshingly clear summary, practical and useful. Best book on the topic that I have found.

The reference for GPRS (as the "mouly" for GSM)
Good work.

Complete book that gives a good vision of the global GPRS system and that, for once, helps to get in the technical details of the standard.

This is a very complete book on GPRS. It is both technical and gives also very quickly a good overview of the system.
Implementation issues have been addresses.
A very rare GOOD book on GPRS. No hesitation to buy it.

LD from Nokia

This text is one I would recommend to anyone with serious aspirations to a professional career in the business of datacommunications networking.

Kenyon has presentated a complex discipline with no sugar coated spin, yet the material is accessible through the illustrations that quantify what are 'reasonable outcomes' in several useful scenarios. This last skill belongs to proven and experienced practitioners, Kenyon has evidently 'walked the walk' and provides the reader with the benefit of his knowledge and experience.

At the very least this text is an essential reference text for modern practitioners of Data Network construction and planning.
- Concept, Implementation, Budget and Risk Management.

At the most enjoyable points, this text provides a way of taking a technologist or student to their respective technical depths, without losing focus on the need to yield practical and cost effective implementations.

The bar has been set to other authors in this area, I hope that Mr Kenyon has more material to come.

I've read many network books, but this one really is beyond anything I've seen so far. This author, unlike others, has got it right, this is a book for engineers, a book written with so much detail it will blow your mind off. I especially loved two of its chapters: Chapter two which is on capacity planning and Chapter four which is on Network Cost Analysis, the two most important aspects that that will turn a network design into a real network.

This book is definitely worth every penny.

I own plenty of design books, unfortunately most of them just rehash design standards or design methods. I've waited a long time for a book that is written from an engineers viewpoint covering material that is relevant to my job and my interests.

My first impressions were great narrative and an exellent technical resource covering difficult and complex aspects such as capacity planning and performance. However, my particular area and what really drew me to this book was network costing and backbone design something that is usually under-represented.

The WAN and ATM sections are extremely well put together with some great insights. Overall, it is methodical, dense in some places definately challenging for the uninitiated but always accompanied with well thought out examples making it very readable, something that I thought made a great change from the norm.

Method is covered, but thankfully only where necessary and anyone like me who is involved in design will benefit from the design templates that are provided.

Overall, I'm extremely impressed and definately looking forward to the accompanying book on higher level security and routing. If it is as well written as this then, for engineers, it should be THE benchmark book set for anyone who is involved in network design. Top marks.